1. Field of the Background
The present invention relates generally to aluminum alloy striking tools with heads having a striking surface attached thereto.
2. Description of the Background
As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 1A, a basic striking tool 10, for example, a claw or framing hammer, includes a grip 12 disposed on a bottom section of a handle 14 that further includes a handle neck 16. Opposite of the grip 12 is a head 18. The head 18 includes a neck 20 and a poll 22 with a striking surface 24 having a beveled edge or chamfer 26. Opposite of the poll 22, an accessory 28 or claw portion is disposed. The accessory or claw portion 28 may include a feature 30 such as a split or orifice that enables a user to remove nails (not shown) from a board (not shown) and the like.
Often, hammers like those shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A are of steel construction which is necessitated by the forces required to drive and remove nails, remove studs during demolition and rehab, and similar endeavors. However, such steel construction, while providing greater durability, also makes for very heavy tools that quickly fatigue a user when used for extended periods of time.
One approach to overcome the heavy construction of steel hammers has been to construct the hammer, at least in part, of a lighter material, such as wood or fiberglass, which was used for the handle, as such materials are not capable of being struck repeatedly against nails and the like without failure. More recently, other lighter weight hammer designs have included a head made of titanium or titanium alloy, with a hard striking surface or working tip attached thereto by a threaded connector, welding, brazing, adhesives, or shrink fitting (heat treatment).
Aluminum has also previously been used in the construction of lightweight hammers, however, such hammers have not been designed for the strenuous activities for which steel hammers are typically used because of durability issues. For example, aluminum hammers cast in a sand mold have been made as “soft” head hammers for the purpose of driving parts without damaging the parts being driven.
Another example combines an aluminum alloy handle with an all-steel head. The head is attached to the handle by means of an adapter arrangement that includes a split sleeve construction provided by a pair of adapter sleeve halves each with an inner recess and adapted to form an opening when assembled together to mate with a complementary shaped end portion of the hammer handle. The outer contour of the adapter sleeve halves are, in turn, configured to mate with a tapered opening in a central region of a hammer head.
However, oftentimes such lighter weight tool constructions have resulted in short-lived tools unable to withstand the same forces as all-steel hammers. Moreover, many of these designs have not been able to reduce the weight of the head of the striking tool, and thus, have had little effect in reducing the fatigue experienced by the user when used for extended periods. There is a need, therefore, for light weight striking tools with durable construction that provide greater ease of use and prolonged tool life.